Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What kind of incubators do you guys use?
I'm thinking of switching and I can't make up my mind. Right now I only produce a few clutches per year.
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http://www.mikefoux.com
http://snakerack.blogspot.com

1.2.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo, Het Anery
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Pueblan Hypo
0.1.0 Corn Bloodred
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.1.0 California King Blue-eyed Blond
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
1.1.0 Brooksi Hypo
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
0.0.1 Sulcata
1.2.1 Leopard Geckos, various morphs
0.1.0 Wife, Caucasius Mexicana

I use an aquarium type of incubator. I just got my first zonata clutch of the season today! She's still laying so I will post pics of the clutch and incubator tomorrow.

I have a Natures Spirit and like it very much.

In the past when I my snakes were kept in my exterior carport shed, I kept an AC on set at 80 degrees to keep the entire room comfortable. I just put the boxes of eggs on a dark shelf and the temps ranged from 78-85 throughout the day. Right now I am keeping my clutch boxes in vacant sweater boxes in my snake rack. The rack is in my house and has heat tape down the back. I just made sure the temps stayed within the acceptable range and won't get too hot or cool. The temps of the egg boxes varies from 78-81. So far so good. I dont think you need fancy incubators if you use a little ingenuity. Find a closet in your house that stays within the ranges specified. Usually clothes closets, food pantrys, etc. stay more warm than your house because the AC doesnt blow in there like the living areas. They are warm, dark, and do the job.

Good luck!!
KevinM

I think the dark part is unnecessary. I keep the lights on half the time in daytime and my eggs hatch fine. Mike Bodner

Mike Bodner's Thayeri

If I said to find a rotting stump out in a humid forest, stuff the eggs into a slight hollow in the barely moist rotting pulp, grubs or worms do not matter, don’t worry if the stump is in a perfect spot, gets rained on, burned or is home to other critters, or even used for other eggs, you’d probably think, “no way eggs would ever hatch like that!”. It’s the deviations from that basic hatch method that seems to give people fits.

Here's my setup.

The temp flexuates from 70(night) to 75(day). So far so good.

You will be lucky to hatch one egg. First, most are bad(unhealthy), some are very marginal, and third, the method does not matter with compromised eggs.
OF course I am hoping at least three hatch.

After you read the above, you may get mad at me, But don't, thats what I would think if they were my eggs.

You really need good strong fertile eggs to test a method. Also, you need a tried and true method to hatch eggs of marginal health.

King snake eggs are very easy to hatch if they are strong and healthy. It goes like this, strong healthy eggs will hatch in a variety of methods and temps. Weak eggs need great conditions, infertile eggs never hatch no matter how they are incubated.

I do wish you all the luck and hope for the best. Cheers

Hey FR,

Yeah, I know they don't look so great. lol But I'm hoping on three of them hatching.

I believe with king eggs you want humidity high with a 1-1 ratio by weight of vermiculite and water. With a temp range from 70-80, depending on the species of course.

I would raise your temps to 78-80 and cut down on some of that humidity.....looks very wet.